South Hadley establishing new commission to help youths

SOUTH HADLEY – South Hadley is in the process of creating a new Youth Commission whose programs would create opportunities for youth in town as well as addressing their problems and challenges.

The Youth Commission will be composed of three adults and up to 15 young people between the ages of 13 and 21, according to Carol Constant, of South Hadley.

Constant is part of a group of South Hadley residents who have been meeting for several months to “come up with a vision of what a youth commission could do. It could be a wonderful place to give youth in the community a voice,” said Constant.

She was reluctant to name herself and her colleagues as founders, as she wanted the group to belong to “everyone,” but she did say that it came about when South Hadley Select Board members Bruce McCullough and Robert Judge “decided it was good time to start a Youth Commission.”

All members of the commission will be appointed by the Select Board.

The youth component of the commission is being spearheaded by South Hadley High School student Melanie Demakus, who held an open meeting two Sundays ago to recruit interested youth.

At that time the youngsters, working with adult supervision, decided that their mission was “to empower all youth to become change-makers in our community.”

They were at no loss to think up projects that would keep teens busy and entertained. Here are some of the possible projects they came up with for the future: A winter carnival, a mural-painting program, a clean-up campaign at playgrounds, the skating park, the riverfront and homes of the elderly.

The youngsters also proposed hiking or canoeing trips, outings to concerts at area colleges, a movie night, intergenerational crafts groups, dances, games, a “Youth Day” to recognize outstanding young people in South Hadley, improvisation nights based on the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and a movie project directed, acted and written by South Hadley youth.

The Youth Commission will be as inclusive as possible, the youngsters said.

For more information on the Youth Commission, call the Select Board at (413) 538-5017.